An Evening with Almog Meir Jan and Ben Ladanay

Live at The Weitzman
7:00pm Doors | 7:30pm Program
Registration Required | $36 | NO WALK UPS ACCEPTED

REGISTRATION CLOSED AT 4PM, 12/10/25

Join us for an evening that will illuminate both the fragility and the resilience of the human spirit. In this special program, rescued hostage Almog Meir Jan and injured IDF soldier Ben Ladany–two young men whose lives were forever changed by October 7 and the war that followed.They will share their experiences in a rare public appearance.

Hear directly from Almog, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and held hostage in Gaza for eight months before being rescued, and from Ben, a lone soldier in the IDF’s Oketz K-9 Unit who was critically wounded in combat while trying to save his partner, a military dog named Jack. Their journeys unfold in very different circumstances, yet each grapples with what it means to face trauma, rebuild identity, and return to the world with renewed purpose. 

In this intimate and honest conversation, Almog and Ben will reflect on the moments that defined them, the choices they confronted, and the lessons they carry forward. Together, their stories invite us to consider the power of community, the weight of memory, and the possibilities that emerge when survival becomes a story of strength, connection, and renewal.

Security will be present.

Co-produced by the Philadelphia Hostage Family Forum and the Weitzman Museum, in partnership with American Friends of Oketz. All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Mr Ladany and Mr Meir Jan. To learn more about – and support- the work of American Friends of Oketz, click here.